Using The Tools You Have The landing gear on the Stearman is big. Big oleo struts and tires with big springs and lots of hydraulic fluid. Every once in a while though these struts can stick and though I’ve seen some creative ways to measure if they work or not when you go flying it’s…
Airplanes can be fun but at the end of the day, they’re just metal, wood, and composite. The one ingredient required in enjoying aviation is people. I have written before that I am the luckiest guy I know. Line guy to pilot has given me a great life. But without the people that have been…
My favorite airplanes (non turbine) Lets do a little dreaming. Image you have a bottomless bank account. What would we find in your hangar? This would be a real challenge for me since I love all airplanes, but somehow I’d make due. He’s my choices as of today, ask me tomorrow and it’ll change. It…
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to fly with my buddy Tom, who built his own RV-4. Tom is a former Air Force instructor, now turned corporate pilot. He built his RV-4 13 years ago and been loving it ever since. He can’t bring himself to park it long enough to paint it, but…
If you frequent this website, you might have noticed that the cadence that I post articles has slowed over the last month or so. That is because I’m working on a couple of side projects. The first one I would like to tell you about is called FIXEDWINGBUDDHA.COM Unusual name right? The theme of the…
Tecnam P92 and the Piper J-3 Cub – brothers from different mothers There are plenty of articles that talk about the very specific niche that is the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), but I thought it would be fun to discuss it from a little different perspective. One of the interesting things to look at…
What would I buy? Monocoupe This is the fifth installment in a series of articles based on a hypothetical set of airplane ownership criteria. Note: This information is strictly the opinion of the author. Your mileage may vary. So for this one I reached deep into my eccentric tastes to produce an example of how I…
Ok, I’m not talking about “flying the jungles of South America” kind of Amazon Aviator. I’m referring to the cyber-jungle that is Amazon.com. Why am I a big fan of Amazon? Because you can find almost anything at the click of a button and aviation paraphernalia is no exception. [br] It’s not just about books…
Most of the things you will read on this blog about flying is that it’s all unicorns and rainbows! It’s true that flying is one of the most amazing experiences of your life, but it’s not without its frustrations. Most recently for me I have been chasing an engine problem on my RV8 and thus…
I Love Biplanes! One of the most existential things you can do as an aviator is fly a biplane, especially an open cockpit variety. Having been lucky enough to have been a steward to one of these sentient vehicles in my youth, I can say I have tasted it’s nectar first hand. There are few…